such an overdue post - update on life!

so this post started as a "thursday thoughts" and then moved to a "wedding wednesday" and then went back to a "thursday thoughts" ... now it is just a pretty much all over the place post.

current numbers
days left :: 34
total headcount :: 93
days left to get you're RSVP in :: 5 - oi. i will be making phone calls.

1.  We celebrated Valentine's Day early at Brio. And man did we EAT!!  It was good to have a little dinner and not talk about the wedding or the dogs and just enjoy each other's company.  We laughed and joked and talked about the future.  We planned our 1st wedding anniversay - cabin.FINALLY. and then we talked about our 5th wedding anniversary - i want something tropical!  It was a good time.  We really just enjoyed hanging out together.  We spend so much time just being around each other on the weekends but not really doing things together unless it is errands - so it was a good change!  .....And I have been craving the mushroom ravoli ever since.  Oi. 

2.  Even though we said NO ANYTHING for Valentine's day {since we just bought wedding rings and finished paying off the honeymoon} Kyle still had flowers sent to my office.  He always bends the rules the make me smile.  ....Of course, I sent him a cookie basket.  What can I say, we're rule benders.  We like to live on the edge!

3.  Kyle really is the best future husband.  He is took me to see "The Vow"  and if you know anything about it ... it is a total chick flick.  But Kyle, knowing how much I want to see it has decided to take me. {future} husband of the year.  i do have to go see one of his "excellent" movies in return.  But all is fair in love, right?  ...we were talking after the movie that we both have to start journaling in case something like that ever happened to one of each other.  But overall, the movie was meh.  I would say Netflix it over going to the theater.  But we had coupons and gift cards so it was a fairly cheap date.

4.  I had my work bridal shower earlier this week and {again} Kyle is the best.  He is came to meet everyone and be social.  I really work for an awesome company that is like my family and I am so very very thankful & grateful for them!  And we got lots of fabulously awesome stuff {and a lot of the practical things we really wanted, like measuring cups for liquids and kyle's coveted pizza wheel} and then the whole next day I got to hear about how cute Kyle is and how sweet he was for coming and what a trooper he was.  I think Kyle acted like he didn't want to come, but he really did.

5.  I am beginning to freak out over the RSVPs.  We have 5 days left and SO many are unanswered.  What shocks me the most are the people who recently got married who have not sent them back and the adults who know how important a RSVP is.  I hate hate hate confrontation and am not looking forward to having to pick up the phone and email people to figure out what their plans are.   But then I also wonder if more got lost in the mail... and we just didn't know about those ones that were lost.  I would like to get the programs ordered and made as well.  I mean... I HATE the waiting game!

6. Kyle and I have been finding some "gems" lately in the food category.  We took my brother to a REALLY good low key italian place for his birthday dinner and there was a "taco and tequila" bar next door that we just tried as well and oh my goodness was it good.  We didn't have tacos, we split this thing called a molcajete.  It looks soo weird, but it was soo good.  We for sure left in a food coma and I passed out quickly after getting home.  It has been cool to explore the 'burbs and get out of the city dining.  Literally, best advice ever was from my Mom - to get the Open Table app of my iPhone and then just play and discover and explore.  I now crave italian from Paizanos on like a weekly basis. 

7.  We {and my we, I mean me} are REALLY good at this thank you note thing... we {ahem, I} get the thank you note out within 1 week of receiving the gift.  And I was told earlier that it is impressive that I am even writing thank you notes.  (a) if i didn't my mom just may kill me and (b) say what?  if someone gives you a gift.... you have to give thanks.   But it has made us laugh and joke that ALL of our wedding gifts have come from my side - my family and my friends.  Kyle keeps banking on gifts brought to the wedding because I think he doesn't want to be embarrased.

8.  We are celebrating our 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY next week!! =D  We are doing nothing special but we are doing dinner at one of my favorites "South City Kitchen".  ....hopefully I will remember to take pictures of our date night and post them!  Kyle and I have like NO recent pictures of us.

9.  I hate reading bad books - I am in the middle of one that I just cannot pick up and when I do.... I cannot wait to put it down.  I wish I was able to walk away from books.  Instead I always hold out hope that it will get better.  ....it never ever does.

10.  Things that make me soooo excited.  So, one of my bridesmaids is coming into town a the Thursday night before the wedding {rather than having to drive in from Tuscaloosa Friday morning} and we're staying at the Loew's Hotel in Midtown for CHEAP and doing dinner and then getting up stinking early on the Friday and getting massages {8:30 AM massages - I said early} before the Bridesmaid Brunch.  Seriously, cannot wait for some quality H & B time since I never get to see her and I want to be uber relaxed going into Saturday.

11.  Speaking of the wedding... this is how I am tracking the weather from the Farmers Almanac.  And let me tell you ... things are not looking good for our wedding day.  It has pretty much been spot on ... down to the snow in Tennessee and North Carolina yesterday, with wind and rain every where else.  :: Big Sigh ::  i know that rain on your wedding day is supposed to be "lucky" and I also know that 34 days out, I should not be stressing over this, but I am.  I really cannot think of ANY good photo opportuninites INSIDE the venue.  I LOVE the OUTSIDE of the venue - the potential pictures OUTSIDE is one the main reasons I chose our venue.... and of course I didn't think about rain then.  Yeah... you're gonna see a senior prom on the stairs picture at my wedding.  And this girl is not going to be thrilled.  I need my like 5 day, hour by hour forecast ... NOW.  Or someone to assure me that the Farmers Almanac can be off.  Seriously - I hate the idea of rain.

But.... today is Monday.  Lets hope for a fabulous week full of RSVPs arriving in our mailbox!  =D

Wedding Update.

I just realized that I have not done a real true wedding update in FOREVER.  And since the main point of this blog (currently) is to keep friends and family updated on my wedding plans I guess I should update you all.

1.  A month or so ago my Mom and Dad came down to Georgia for my flower appointment.  I think it went well.  We hashed out a lot.  But then of course, a week or so later I started second guessing everything.  I LOVE my bouquet and all the bouquets and boutonnieres, but I ditched the idea of Shepperd hooks along the aisles.  I think the centerpieces for the tables are gorgeous.  I just get nervous because I TOLD the woman handling the flowers what I want, yet she did not put arrangements together for me to eyeball.  And being the control freak that I am I will either be super happy or not thrilled at all. In my life - there really is no in between.  And I am still wondering if I should move the ceremony site out of fear that it (a) rains or (b) is too cold.  ...I seriously need to take a chill pill.

2.  I was supposed to have my dress fitting a few weeks ago, but per the usual, the salon was unable to keep an appointment and it has been pushed to the 9th of January.  

3.  Speaking of the dress boutique.  They gave me the HEART ATTACK OF THE CENTURY when I found out they ordered the wrong dress then that they did not order the wrong dress.  If the dresses come in and they are not a douponi navy I may just fall over and die.  I hate bridesmaid dresses and the douponi is the only fabric that does not scream "bridesmaid dress".  Le sigh.

4.  Happier news:  I started putting the tags on our candy buffet and all I can say is LOVE.  Seriously, the woman I bought them from on Etsy is nothing but marvelously crafty.

5.  Wedding invites - they should be going out after the 1st of the year.  I think I will be addressing them by the tons over the holidays.  Weeeeeeee.

6.  My wedding showers are on the books.  The BIG one is January 29th and the my work one is sometime in February.  I guess it is time to start cleaning out the kitchen and closets to make room for new and improved stuff.  And it is time to start buying cutesy thank you notes.

7.  There are 97 more days till the wedding.  97.   

8.  Have I mentioned in the past that I chose a wedding cake and that I L-O-V-E it?!  Well.  I did and it is amazing.  And I would like to thank Pinterest for helping me discover it. 

9.  I am trying to get our engagement pictures on the books but with the holidays and my soon to be insane work / travel schedule this is proving to be hard.  And it appears that our photographer does engagement sessions on week days.  So I think Kyle and I will be taking a day off work in January to go ring shopping and smile for round 2 of engagement pictures.  He is oh so thrilled. 

10.  Last and most important:  I have some of the most amazing girls in my bridal party.

Wave of Accomplishment *almost*

 

my parents will be in route to Atlanta tomorrow to make some final wedding decisions.  Thursday = flowers!  and once the flowers are decided … I will be 100% planned.  The only thing that will need to be decided from there is the rehearsal dinner.  And well that is out of my hands.

But… with 4 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days to go I am pretty much 100% planned and that is awesome.

From there the only “to do’s” to do  --- buy the rest of the candy bar candy and candy bags.  Finish getting all the goodies for the welcome bags and stuff them and buy the 3 different signs from Etsy and buy the guestbook!

I would like to say the venue made all this so so so much easier.  But yeah it feels good to be pretty much DONE! 

Three Things Thursday

how is it already November?!

1. wedding invitations have been ordered (and are actually sitting on my front porch as I type this....)!  I have not seen the completed look and I will see the legit final product (other than the proof) when I get home today. I am pretty sure my mom thought I was out of control since we thought I was settled on some and then as my mom was about to order the invites I changed my mind on the color scheme.  I wasn't in love with the blue - it was too bright and even though my mom and my friend Afton said that no one will remember the invitation it just bugged me.  so we went more with the color scheme - but more of the muted colors.  Yes - I am that out of control bride who has a hard time making decisions.  ....which i kinda how/why the purple has been kinda kicked out of the wedding ceremony decor but kept alive in the reception decor.  HOT BRIDAL MESS I TELL YOU!!  ....but anyway, back to the wedding invite.  I am glad there are extras left over because (a) I want to keep one for the guest book but (b) I want to make a Christmas ornament out of it.  I saw the ornaments on Pinterest and LOVE the idea.  You just cut the invite up in small pieces, curl them and then place them in a clear globe.  So cute, right?! And Kyle and I are all about sentimental ornaments - all of ours on the tree have a meaning behind them. :o)

2. I have my flower appointment in exactly 7 days!!  Flowers are legit the last BIG wedding decision we have to make (that we have control over). I am still in love in love with this bridal bouquet so here is hoping that those flowers are (a) in season (b) able to be put together and (c) looks just as good on the wedding day.  My Mom of course is coming down and hopefully she knows a little more about flowers than me because I know nothing.  And I am unsure how his appointment is going to work because it is at the venue not the flower shop... are they going to bring flowers to me?  Erg, I need to see the final product to make a decision. With that said, I think I am just gonna trust the florist on the boutonnieres (hopefully I can see them).  But I think the longest conversations/decisions will be over ceremony decor and reception decor. ...After this meeting it means the wedding is getting seriously close!  I hope everyone has their dancing shoes and party pants ready!

3.  So... Saturday is a HUGE game.  In case you have not been watching or listening or caring.  Alabama is #2 in the BCS rankings and LSU is #1 - so we pretty much have the national championship game this weekend.  Kyle and I are excited and nervous for this game.  It would be a big win for The Tide so I am hoping for another W.  And then a W at the SEC championship and then at The National Championship!! But most importantly, I am irked that some dumb LSU fan made shirts that have a picture of the US with Alabama missing with the tag line "Imagine a World Without Alabama" -- like, isn't it too soon?  We just honored the 6 month mark post tornado last week.  Many parts of Alabama were destroyed and are still struggling to recover and get over the heartbreaking storm.  Even though it is known that LSU does not have the classiest for best fans, it really is kind of too soon to be rocking shirts like that. Especially in a town that was devastated and destroyed.  GRANTED:  My friend from college said it best "So tacky... in a way it's them admitting that we're better though! "If Alabama wasn't there, then we could win this year!"   ROLL TIDE!  ok. so here is to an awesome win and hopefully another Tide win!

my latest things i love.

 

how adorable is this mailbox for the cards and gifts table. I sometimes feel like I am squashed between an oh so fabulous shabby chic and vintage wedding. but, I LOVE this little touch.  but, I am actually looking for a vintage-ly awesome birdcage. =)

I am also loving the bouquet below.  I love the simplicity of it but that it has some color so it will pop when held against my ivory dress. I normally hate babies breath, but I kinda like the look it adds to this bouquet.

 

And last but not least, I LOVE the flowers below for the bridesmaids bouquets.  They’re a little blue-er than my potential bouquet. but I could make them the same shade of blue.  I don’t think I would keep the calla lilies in there because I want the bridesmaids bouquets to look semi similar to my bouquet but not totally similar.

But then I also think about how my wedding colors are mainly navy blue, lilac, off white, and a touch of that light blue and I wonder if I should make the hydrangeas a light purple instead?  But…. with that said, the bride bouquet just looks so classic and simple with that light cornflower blue.

So many decisions to be made in a few months about flowers and decorations.  Yikes.

little details and ideas.

I am so detail oriented and love love love little details.  One of the things that I am most excited about are the little details.  The things that will make my wedding photographer die, because he too loves detail.   I don’t want to give away all the surprises…. like what I have planned for my “something blue”  but I do have a million and one ideas floating around my head right now.

Head Table:

So…. I hate hate hate sweetheart tables. And then I also hate head tables.  If it was 100% up to me,  Kyle and I would sit with our friends.  Therefore…. I am tossing around the idea of one big amazing head table that has both Kyle and me at it but also our whole bridal party and their date.  There date would be sitting there too because I have been in too many weddings where there are head tables and members of the bridal party have complained about not being able to sit with their date. blah blah blah, not a good time to complain but I am going to try and avoided the complaining, by doing this:

Tables:

In fact.  I kind of love the idea of all square tables.  I wonder if my venue can pull that off.  Do they make square linens? How many people sit at a round table?  I am thinking 8 at the square tables.  Ugh another reason why a seating chart may work best.  Goodness.

but then…. I stumbled across this picture and LOVED that idea too.  Notice the long square (that would be a rectangle. duh) “head table” in the center, surrounded by both square AND round tables.  and the square tables have 3 on each side + 2 on each end  = 10 at each table.  And I l-o-v-e the tall center pieces at the round tables and low at the square tables.  I love how that makes different levels. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.   ….ladies and gentlemen, we may have found the setup for my reception (minus the dark depressing linens) should the venue be able to do this and they bettter!!!

Place cards:

I am not in love with the idea of seating charts since I have heard they can be insanely stressful to put together but my wedding may come down to that.  Oi. Not fun.  But in an ideal world everyone would be able to chose their own seat but since we’re tossing around the idea of giving people the choice of what they want to eat we need to help the servers out a bit.  So, going with the vintage, shabby chic vibe I am aiming for I thought it would be totally classy and awesome to do “place cards” and depending on what menu item they chose their name would be a certain color.  Purple for option 1 and navy for option 2.  AND…. how vintage and shabby chic awesome are these?!

Mantle:

When we went venue “shopping” and chose our venue I fell in love with the rustic chimney, fireplace thing and decided that is where the ceremony would take place.  Since I want an early evening ceremony I want lots of candles.  Theme: vintage, shabby chic, lush, romantic, anthropologie.  ….And I stumbled across this and want it created on the mantle.  Please and thank you.  I love the tall, thing candles and candle holders and the lush white hydrangea flowers.  I don’t think I want the flowers as “high” as they are but how lovely is this?!  Screams romantic and weddings are romantic.  Yeah!

brides bouquet:

not so fast.  I am totally not going to show you what I have in mind.  as I said before.  there needs to be some secrets.  but… I would l-o-v-e to incorporate a vintage fabulous broach on the stems wrap.  I cannot decide it I want something sparkly or pearly (like the right pictures) or  like a cameo broach (like on the left) it would be amazing if my mom had one in her jewelry box or stashed away somewhere.  can we say “something old” …. I will be going through her jewelry box when I am home in July.  and it not, I am sure I can find something wonderful on etsy. but seriously – how gorgeous does this look?

centerpieces:

I cannot decide between high or low – that’s why I think I decided today as I was pulling pictures that maybe a mix of both would be a good idea.  and I don’t know about colors, but I love the idea of crisp white but I also really want to add a touch of color. light blue. light purple. something..  these pictures really aren’t that great so I apologize and I am only showing 2 … I could show you 20 but I will spare you.

vines:

no not my last name, but like wooden vines. I don’t know how I would or if I would at all, but I love how the vines were used in 3 of these pictures. the bottom middle one, would make for a fabulous centerpiece. but, I doubt you will see vines at my wedding. sorry.

hair:

I love this hair.  And I love the sparkly hair thing that goes with it. the only problem with the hair pin, comb thing is that my jewelry isn’t sparkly.  and I feel like if I am going to have bling in my hair, I need to have bling on my ears and neck too.  Or am I wrong?   But I do love the messy low bun…. and the sparkly gives it a little flair.  oi.

okay. and with that I am done. for now.

Wedding Updates.

You can pretty much scratch all the ideas that have been floating around on this blog.  Wedding flowers -- none of those are even in the running anymore because .... I LOVE these for the bridesmaids.

I think I want them to have something simple and white with their navy dresses.  Nothing loud or too bright.  Plus.... all eyes must be on me.  =)  I also do love these, which are very similar.

So I am 99% sure the girls are going to have white hydrangeas with white roses.  But I LOVE the navy and white ribbon on the 1st bouquets.


I also got my wedding dress.  Well ordered it.  I won't have it till September I think.  And I love love love love love it!  =)  I would show you the flowers I like for my bouquet, but like my dress I am gonna keep that a secret.

Bridesmaid dresses have been picked.  And to my knowledge, no one has purchased theirs yet other than Erin. So... girls.  Get on it.  Please. and thank you.

Cake: I have been looking at cakes again and who knows what I am going to end up with.  All I know is that I want it simple and classy.  I like the one below because it is simple but it has a touch of color. But there will be no flowers on top.  I hate flowers on cakes. 

Bridesmaid Flowers -- ideas!

There is 1 thing that I know for sure.  I want to have an all white bouquet [and I am pretty confident that I have chosen it, but I am unsure if I want to share it....] and I want my girls to have purple in their bouquet.  Right now I am tossing around these 6 options.

These pictures are smaller than I would hope.  But I am leaning towards the 1st one or the last one in the 2nd line or the 1st or 2nd in the top line.  With that said ... I want replica bridesmaid bouquets on some on the tables at the reception.  And I want low centerpieces ... so it may come down to price and what would look good as a small floral arrangement.  That is why florists are pros right?!

Polling the audience: which ones do you like?! =)

Three Things Thursday.

And onto episode two of three things thursday.

1. the mornings and evenings in atlanta are starting to get cooler. this makes me so so so happy - this was a brutal summer and i think most people dreaded being outside. now i just have to wake up and run or get in a few miles before it gets too dark. this really excites me because i think i may start friday morning runs to the office again (and i will try to avoid all silver muranos). plus cool air = fall & fall = alabama football.
2. fall clothes are stating to hit stores, websites, and catalogs and everything is looking super cute. but then again fall is my favorite season to shop in and anthropologie has some amazing things. must.not.shop. must.save.for.wedding.
3. i have been shopping around and pricing out EVERYTHING for my wedding. this week I have been looking at flowers and florists. i want lush and rustic and romantic and vintage (that's the feel i want for the wedding) and i found an amazing florist here in atlanta. i talked with the sales guy about 2012 and flowers and today he surprised me at my office and hand delivered the most gorgeous bouquet of lush, romantic, vintage, rustic flowers just to say "thanks" for looking into their floral shop & that they're looking forward to talking more. talk about wanting to make the sale. nice touch, nice touch.

unrelated: i have been running. be proud of me. it has actually been wonderful to get out and run.